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Monday, June 8, 2015

How long can you wear a choker? If you ask me, I can’t think
of carrying it for more than 2 hours.Meet Kayan women from the tribal village in North Thailand. They wear
not just a choker but coil of rings
which weighs 12 kgs and length of 40 cm.It is not just fashion to them but it is their tradition, it is their livelihood.

Kayan long necked women.She is 58. But loooks much older

The tribal village is located in the border between North
Thailand and Burma(Myanmar). These tribal women have the tradition of wearing
coiled rings around their neck from their childhood, to increase the length of
the neck. They are also called as Giraffe women.

Kayans are the refugees from Burma living in Thailand. The Thailand
Government has given them place for their settlement as it improves their tourism. I visited the tribal camp during my Chiang Mai travel. This camp has many tribal refugees each one different in their culture, clothes and ornaments they wear. But women with rings attract tourists more than any other tribes.

Young Kayan girl busy in weaving, Thailand

As per their
tradition, they initiate girl child to wear the rings as early as 3 years. There
were women of different age from 3 year to 65 years. All their necks were bejeweled
with rings. I was told that the actual length of the neck doesn’t increase but
it gives an optical illusion by pushing the collar bone down due to the weight
of these rings. 12 kgs of weight on the shoulder is not a joke!

It is believed that the long stretched neck adds beauty. However, some say that Kayans
started wearing rings as a protection from tiger when they lived in woods. My
guide told me a different story. When these tribes were living in the forest
they wore bark of a tree as ornaments around their necks and legs. When someone
brought them to the civilized world
and they were asked to continue the same practice, by wearing brass rings instead of bark of the
tree so that they can attract tourists.

Kayan kid playing with tourist kid

All the women were engaged in selling shawls hand made by
them and some were busy in weaving the shawls. Their little ones were
silently sitting next to them. Honestly, the whole walk through this small
settlement left me with a sad feeling especially looking at the pretty young
girls who were obliging to pose with the tourists with a bright smiling face. I
didn’t find anyone of them saying No for pictures. They were ready to pose the
moment cameras were aiming at them. My guide explained that tribals are paid by
tourist agencies to amuse the tourists. I thought how would they be feeling every
time as they were treated as show pieces!

Shopping area for Kayan's handmade works

Later, my discussions with my guide revealed that they are
confined to this settlement and not supposed to step out. Though they wear
rings as a mark of tradition, young generation is willing to come out and lead
a normal life. But their elders stop them from removing the rings as it might
stop their income.

Look at the innocent face and the rings. This girl stole my heart

They live in houses built in bamboos. My heart went for those
tiny tots who at the age of 3 were
wearing the weight of the rings and sitting next to their moms instead of
playing. By the way I didn’t see a single man in the settlement. My guide said
that they were in the farms taking siesta. They need not have to work hard as their women earn for them.